The present invention relates to the discovery of a new and distinct cultivar of rabbiteye blueberry plant botanically known as a Vaccinium ashei and herein referred to as ‘T-460’, as herein described and illustrated.
The new blueberry plant variety ‘T-460’ was selected in Tifton, Ga. in the mid 1980's. The new variety ‘T-460’ ripens around mid June in southern Georgia. The fruit of the new variety ‘T-460’ are large with good scar and very good color. The new variety ‘T-460’ has demonstrated self-fruitfulness and is moderately vigorous with an estimated chilling requirement of about 500-550 hours at or below 7° C.
Pedigree and history: ‘T-460’ was selected in the mid 1980's in Tifton, Ga., originating from a cross of ‘T-223’×‘T-258’. ‘T-223’ is the maternal parent and ‘T-258’ is the paternal parent. Both parent ‘T-223’ and parent ‘T-258’ are non-patented breeding lines. The selection was first asexually propagated by softwood cuttings at a research location in Tifton, Ga. in the 1980's. Subsequently, in the late 1990's, the new variety was asexually propagated by softwood cuttings at that time in Griffin, Ga. The new variety was tested in plantings in Alapaha and Griffin, Ga. in the late 1990's. The selection was planted in ornamental trials at the Alapaha and Griffin, Ga. locations in 2011.